Sewing Swimsuit Pattern?

Question

Which one is easier to do:

1. buy a pattern for swimsuits (female)

---- where can i buy them?

2. make my own pattern

---- what are some tips on making your own pattern

3. make a homemade swimsuit (from something else)

---- what are things i can do?

Thank you, have a safe summer!!!

from,

"Ms. Fashion Designer" so they call me

Answer 1

You will have better luck  sewing a swimsuit if you forget using patterns from the 'Big 4' at Joanns. Use a pattern that's specifically designed for knits and uses ready to wear techniques. I would suggest KwikSew.com or Jalie.com. Hancocks carries Kwik Sew and both can be mail ordered. For mail order I would suggest PatternReview.com.

Answer 2

I spent an hour at JoAnns recently trying to find swimsuit patterns and I only found one. And it wasn't all that great. I did find a lot of good ones at Hancock Fabrics online store. They had a good selection if you go the pattern route.

That said, I found it easier to just make my own. But then, I hate patterns!

If you are just making a simple bikini, all you have to do it take a suit you already own, and cut the pattern from that. I just laid my suit right on the fabric and drew lines around it and cut it out from there. But you can also use pattern paper or even brown paper bags or newspaper.

You can tweak it here and there and fix whatever you didn't like about your old suit.

But I'd stick with a pattern if you are trying to do something fancy.

Answer 3

you can buy swimsuit patterns at most fabric stores, i know jo-ann fabrics and hancock fabrics sell them.  you can also order them online, at sites like:  www.butterick.com, www.burdastyle.com, www.mccallpattern.com, even ebay!

as for making your own patterns...this is pretty tough.  some stores (i know jo-ann's used to, i used to work there) hold classes on things like this, and i know they sell books on it as well.  you may be able to check books on this out at the library, too.  one item that is defintely useful for making your own patterns is a body form.  they're pretty expensive ($100+), but you can make you own by creating a duct tape dummy.  follow the instructions here:  http://www.alleycatscratch.com/lotr/maki...  you can also create patterns fromstore bought patterns, by modifying them to your liking--or you can take apart an old swimsuit at the seams and use that as a pattern.  try checking out your local thrift store for interesting designs!

Answer 4

Kwik Sew has a good assortment of swimsuit patterns.  If you've never made a swim suit before it is probably best to use a commercial pattern.  They have all the construction details on the instruction sheets.  Constructing a swim suit can be surprisingly complex for such tiny pieces of fabric! They are available from the Kwik Sew website or from most fabric stores.  Here's their website and the swimsuit page; http://www.kwiksew.com/Catalog/cat_thumb...

they have a selection of suits in many styles and sizes.  I made 3064, the wrap style for myself when I led a swimsuit class.

Pattern making is rewarding, but there's a huge and steep learning curve.  It's not as easy as they make it sound on shows like "Project Runway" But it can be a challenging and fun to learn. It can also be a lifesaver if your shape is different from pattern company standards.  Here's a website that describes how to make swim suit patterns from scratch. http://www.patternschool.com/  They also have a "lazy person block"  which will give you a quick'n'easy sloper: http://www.patternschool.com/lazyblock.s...  or quick'n'easy patterns: http://www.patternschool.com/lazyswim.sh...  both the lazy patterns and the sloper will require fine tuning the fit and neither comes with any how to make instructions.  But they are quick and cheap.  And the sloper can be used to make whatever your imagination comes up with.

My advice is to experiment with less expensive fabrics until you get the hang of fitting the peices to your body. Take your time, and don't be discouraged by mistakes.  Keep track of what went wrong, why, and how not to make the same mistake a second time.  Always make a test fit suit in cheap fabric first and when you are happy with the fit, then invest in good nylon spandex and make a high quality suit with linings, bra cups, etc.  You can have a personalized custom fit suit and make it in whatever colour you wish.

Happy sewing!

Answer 5

Buy a pattern if you have never made a pattern before.

here's some sites to check out.

http://www.simplicity.com/index.cfm?page...

http://www.mccall.com/

http://www.joann.com/joann/index.jsp?WT....

You could always buy 1 and 1/2 yards of swimsuit material and cut it crosswise.  Then sew the oppisite corners in a small square and use for the crotch of the suit and tie the other endsone around your waist and the other side around your bust.